Jumping toy



0a. 6, 1942. FORMS `2,297,759

JUMPING TOY Filed Oct. 31, 1941 I I .r FPi/711111111171111 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JUMPING TOY Emil Arvid Fornas, Ashtabula, Ohio Application October 31, 1941, Serial No. 417,395

(Cl. Llf3-429) 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in toys of the animal or insect simulating type.

An important object of the invention is to provide a toy simulating a grasshopper and embodying novel means adapted to be automatically released for imparting a jumping motion to the toy thereby rendering the same more realistic.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy ol the character described which is simple and durable in construction, relatively inexpen- `the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, reference willbe had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational vi-ew of a toy simulating a grasshopper in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View thereof.

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal sectional View.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof, the improved toy simulating a grasshopper is generally designated by the reference numeral 8 the same comprising an elongated body 9 formed of any desired relatively light weight material. The front end of the body is formed with a head I 0 and has xedly secured thereto leg members II. The body 9 from the rear end thereof is substantially hollow for a portion of its length to provide a chamber I2 opening through the bottom of the body and containing the mechanism, to be hereinafter more fully described, for imparting a jumping motion to the toy.

A shaft I3 extends transversely of the chamber and is journaled in and extends through the sides thereof, and the shaft has attached to its outer ends, rear leg members I4 and I5. The

legs I4 and I5 are formed in two sections hinged 55 together, as indicated at I6, the portions I'I and I8 adapted to assume the full line position shown in Figure l of the drawing when placing the toy on a Arelatively flat surface after the jumping mechanism has been set, as will hereinafter appear. A relatively hat rod I9 is secured to the shaft I3, the Vforward end 29 thereof extending beyond the shaft, as best show n in Figure 3 of the drawing. The rod I9 extends rearwardly to the tail portion 2I of the body 9 and is adapted to contact a ball of pitch, Wax, cr similar substance 22 held within the tail portion 2 I. The forwardly extending portion 2D of the rod I9 has looped thereunder a tension spring 23, which spring extends rearwardly within the chamber. The normal position of the rod I9 is at an angle to the body 9, as shown in dotted lines in Figures l and 3 of the drawing and the normal position of the spring 23 has its end 24 -in contact with the upper wall of the chamber, as shown in Figure 3. When setting the jumping mechanism, the free end of the rod I9 is engaged and the same is urged upwardly into Contact with the substance 22. In view of the fact that the rear legs I4 and I5 are xedly secured to the shaft I3, to which the rod I9 is also xedly secured, said legs will be caused to assume the full line position shown in Figure 1 when moving the rod, as indicated. The rod I9 is held in contact with adhesive substance 22 against the tension of the spring 23 until the substan-ce becomes relatively soft by reason of the heat of the fingers, which will cause the end of the rod to adhere thereto for a short period of time. The body is then placed on a surface and the tension of the spring 23 will gradually release the rod I9 from the substance 22 whereupon the body is caused to jump after the fashion of a grasshopper with the parts moving to substantially the dotted line position shown in Figure 1. By repeating the above action, the toy can be caused to jump in simulation of -a grasshopper, it being merely necessary to hold the end of the rod I9 against the substance 22 until said substance has suiciently softened to cause the rod to adhere thereto.

A further feature of the present invention comprises the provision of a pair of wings which flap outwardly simultaneously with the jumping action of the toy. Referring more particularly to Figure 5 of the drawing, the wings are designated by the reference numerals 25 and 26, the wing 25 being mounted on a pin 2'I and the wing 26 being mounted on a pin 28. The wing 25 is formed with an extension 29 which projects within the chamber and the wing 2S is formed with an extension 3l] projecting within the chamber and overlapping the extension 29.

The extensions 2S and 3B are formed with aligned arcuate shaped slots 3| united by means of a pin 32. As is to be understood, when the rod I9 is released from the adhesive substance 22, the legs I4 and l5 move downwardly and the end 2l) of the rod I9 moves upwardly and contact thereof with the overlapped extensions at the point 33 imparts suiiicient momentum to cause the wings 25 and 2B to flap outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 of the drawing on their pivots 21 and 28, respectively. When setting the mechanism it is, of course, necessary to rst bring the wings 25 and 26 into engagement with the body so that the legs llt and l5 can be moved upwardly into position. The length of the rod I9 and the tension of the spring Z3 have been governed so that the legs ld and l5 will drop suiciently for the wings to ap outwardly without danger of contact with the legs.

In the modiedform of the invention, shown in Figure 6, a suction cup 34 is secured to the free end of the rod I9, said cup being formed with a pin hole bleed 35, and the wall 35 of the chamber of this form receives the cup to set up a suction action to temporarily hold the rod in set position. The pin hole bleed 35 will permit the suction cup to be slowly released under the tension of the spring 23 previously described.

From the above description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent that there has been provided a jumping toy simulating a grasshopper that will tend to startle or excite the interest of the ob- The jumping mechanism is easily and readily set in position, and if either the adhesive substance or the suction cup is employed, suffi-cient time will elapse before the rod has been released to permit the placement of the toy in its substantially horizontal position on a relatively at surface.

Also, it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art that variations in the hereinabove-described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and that the invention is capable of extended application and is not conned to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not aiect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A jumping toy comprising an elongated body provided with a cham-ber opening through the bottom of the body and extending from the rear end thereof for a portion of its length, a shaft traversing the chamber adjacent its front end and journaled in and extending through the side walls thereof for disposal exteriorly of the body, legs including pivoted sections fixed to the outer ends of the shaft, a spring pressed rod having one end xed to the shaft within the chamber and extending therefrom for engagement with a supporting surface for the toy to cause the latter to jump, means for temporarily holding the rod against the action of the spring in set position above said surface, wings normally disposed along the length of and in parallelism with the opposite sides of the body, extensions formed on the front ends of the wings and pivoted to the body, said extensions projecting into the chamber and slidably connected to each other, and means secured to the shaft and engageable with the extensions for moving the wings outwardly from the body upon releasement of the rod from its holding means.

EMIL ARVID FORNAS. 

